SANDPOINT — A Bonner County man convicted of molesting a 6-year-old girl earlier this year was ordered Monday to serve up to eight years in prison.

Charles Louis Westfall will have to at least two years of the sentence before becoming eligible for parole, according to the terms of the sentence imposed by 1st District Judge Steve Verby.

Westfall wept quietly as the punishment was handed down.

Westfall, 26, was accused of molesting the girl on several occasions between January and April. He was charged with lewd and lascivious conduct and ultimately pleaded guilty through a written agreement between the state and the defense.

“I need help, your honor,” Westfall said. “I want help so it never happens again.”

Prior to sentencing, Westfall underwent mental health evaluation, a polygraph examination and psychosexual evaluation. It was divulged in court Westfall himself had been a victim of sexual abuse.

Bonner County Prosecutor Louis Marshall recommended a fixed term of two years partly due to Westfall’s candor during the evaluations, but sought an indeterminate term of six years.

“It was an extremely serious offense,” said Marhsall.

Chief Public Defender Isabella Robertson pushed for a two- to seven-year sentence with retained jurisdiction, which would qualify Westfall for release onto probation after six months. She emphasized that the psychosexual evaluation found Westfall to be a good candidate for community-based treatment and not a violent sexual predator.

Verby counted cases such as Westfall’s among the most difficult for judges to deal with and noted the grim pattern of abuse victims who become victimizers, creating potentially lifelong emotional obstacles for a new generation.

However, Verby said he was more concerned about the frequency of Westfall’s conduct.

“Although only one event is charged, Mr. Westfall admits that such acts took place on at least four occasions,” Verby said.